proud of the countless acts of kindness and compassion by our Farm Bureau family who gave their time and resources to make life a little better for their neighbors.” He added that although 2020 was a difficult year, one of the silver linings was holding the convention virtually. The change made it possible for members who had never traveled to the event to participate.
Virginia young farmers rank among top national competitors
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AFBF President Zippy Duvall addressed conference attendees from his Georgia farm.
Virtual AFBF convention full of the normal events, competitions
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t may have been held virtually, but the 102nd American Farm Bureau Federation convention didn’t lack any actual content, recognitions or accomplishments. During the Jan. 10-13 convention, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation received AFBF’s Pinnacle Award, the highest honor a state Farm Bureau can be awarded for program and membership achievement. VFBF also received AFBF Awards of Excellence for advocacy; engagement and outreach; leadership and business development; and membership value. AFBF President Zippy Duvall said this year’s theme of “Stronger Together” was exemplified by the state Farm Bureaus’ collective contribution of $5.4 million in donations and 1.4 million pounds of food to local food banks and pandemic relief programs. The VFBF Women’s Leadership Committee-led PB&J food collection contributed to this effort. County Farm Bureau women’s committees collected a cumulative 4,306 pounds of food and $3,367 in monetary donations. “Farm Bureau has always stepped up to help our communities, especially in times of disaster and crisis, and this was no exception,” Duvall said during the convention’s opening session. “Throughout the pandemic, Farm Bureau has been there, supporting farmers and ranchers, giving back to communities, providing assurance that our food supply is strong and ensuring America’s pantries are stocked. I’m so
irginia was well-represented in the 2021 AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers competitions, held during the virtual convention. Matthew and Shelbie Heldreth of Wythe County took third place in the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award program; Jonathan and Kelsey Grimes of Wythe County placed fourth in the AFBF Excellence in Agriculture Award program; and Jacob Gilley of Orange County competed in the national Discussion Meet contest. The Achievement Award honors young farmers who are successful in production agriculture and provide leadership on and off the farm. The Heldreths manage a 1,200-acre beef cattle operation at Heldreth Farms in Rural Retreat. Matthew serves as chairman of the Wythe County Farm Bureau Young Farmers Committee, and Shelbie serves on the county Farm Bureau’s Women’s Committee. “There was some very good competition, so we were just excited to be in the top 10 nationally. Coming in third is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement,” Matthew Heldreth said after the winners were announced. The Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes individuals for involvement in agriculture, leadership ability and involvement and participation in Farm Bureau and other organizations.
THE GRIMESES
THE HELDRETHS
Jonathan Grimes is an agriculture education teacher and FFA advisor at Fort Chiswell High School in Wythe County, and Kelsey Grimes is a Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H agent. The Grimeses represent the New River Valley region on the VFBF Young Farmers Committee, and have been VFBF Excellence in Agriculture Award finalists since 2017. “It was our goal to make it to the top 10, and this was an opportunity to represent Virginia well in the top four,” Jonathan said of the award. vafb.com / APRIL 2021
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